No one else dared join them . . . Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. (Acts 5:13,14)These verses seem nonsensical. In the aftermath of Liargate (Ananias and Sapphira died three hours apart, after lying to God), people didn't take their decision about joining the church lightly. Obviously church membership was not for the faint of heart, but a commitment to be taken seriously. Those who weren't serious stayed away. No one wanted to see a headstone with his name on it.
Rather than experiencing a drop in numbers, men and women still received Christ and many were added to the church. In addition to growing in numbers, we are given a hint of not only the power displayed among the saints and the vibrant church experience they enjoyed, but also the reverence and awe evoked among those who were not yet counted as members (vv. 15,16).
Could it be that we have made it too easy for the tentative to make half-hearted decisions for Christ, and welcomed the non-committed into church fellowship with the promise that, after all, grace is free and costs us nothing? Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, . . . grace without discipleship. [1]
We make grace cheap when we divest Christian commitment of all responsibility, fearing that demands will discourage conversions and impede church growth. Maybe, exactly the opposite is true.
What does your commitment look like?
[1] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Rev. ed. (New York: MacMillan, 1959).
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